ULTSEC Innovation Fund

Ruth ValentineSchool of Dental SciencesSimon CotterillLearning and Teaching Support Unit, Faculty of Medical Sciences

ULSEC Innovation Fund

What we did

Who helped

Overview of project

Impact

Background– Stage 1: Poster group exercise

• Work as a group, produce a poster, group mark, statement of contribution, peer assess

• Ensure fairness in the mark• Facilitate working in a team – and signpost why this is

important (GDC guidance)• Use of ‘Identity’ in Stage 1

Ensuring fairness in group work assessment

Priority Theme: Assessment and feedback

• To develop and pilot an on-line facility for groups to record meetings and discussions, building on an e-Portfolio platform (Vernazza et al., 2011).

– to record team meetings in real time

– allow easier monitoring of individual contributions

– promote reflective peer review by individuals in the group

• Promote engagement with students at a later stage in the degree programme, through use of ‘team peer mentors’

– provide feedback throughout the planning stages - feed forward mechanism in the overall team work process

• Introduce the use of Web peer assessment (WebPA; formatively), a peer assessment tool for allocating peer group marks for team working, to allow moderation of the group mark.

Overview of project idea

• Costed in to have two student interns (half money from ULTSEC, half from careers service)

• Interviewed and appointed two stage 3 students (Nicola Gallagher and Daniel Mall)

• They initially carried out a series of focus groups with Stage 2 students (students who carried out the traditional poster exercise)

• 44 (56%) Stage 2 students attended– Feedback of last years poster exercise– Feedback on ‘use’ of identity– Feedforward on the new facility

• We also recruited several stage 3 students (unpaid) to act as peer mentors• Introduced WebPA (formatively) to allow peer assessment

What we did…..

Last year’s feedback

Some people in the groups share work last minute – the group then had to work together to improve it.

All grades were lowered if one person didn’t contribute as much – not fair

Peer marking is good – definitely before hand in. Needs to be done separately to be truthful. Each person could make a statement of contribution

some people need to take it more seriously

by the end you forget what everyone does

Feedback on ‘use’ of identity

Only used for [reporting] illness

Used to view any negative [feedback] comments

I have used /heard of it –Yes, for tutor meetings, not useful

Easy enough to use, not needed in first two years though. Easy to report illness. App would be easier

We then showed them ‘Mock up’

Mock up

Mock up

Looks good, good idea, attendance record is greatAll in one place – avoids email, facebook

Feedback on the new facility

File section – good idea for a message board too!

Make it compulsoryMake it available to the markerSpace for personal reflection!!

Could have a flag up system if someone doesn’t attend more than say 3 sessions without reason. Then only if there is a problem allow access to tutors.

Second focus groups

• Stage 1 students, n = 55 (60%):• The e-portfolio facility had been engaged with by all students in all

poster groups• Students in general liked the ‘up-load’ facility and the area for

sharing information. • They really appreciated the help from their peer mentors although

some peer mentors had engaged more than others• Interestingly, when posed with WebPA marks contributing 10-20% of

the overall individual grade, students wanted this mark to be incorporated summatively and would prefer a larger proportion weighted.

Conclusions

• Benefits• The e-portfolio will continue to be developed based upon student

feedback and we will introduce a summative proportion of 20% based upon the peer evaluation.

• Encouraged use of ePortfolio by Dental students in Stage 1, prior to intense use in Stages 3-5 for clinical recording and reflection.

• Software enhancements for group-work were incorporated into the University-wide portfolio for wider benefit.

• Draw Backs• Adding everyone onto a community was time consuming• Engaging peer mentors • Some peer mentors more active than others – how to manage this

in future: training, to ensure a consistent approach

• Three Rivers Conference• Submission to EJDE

Advice ???• Only got a small amount of funding and short time frame – so don’t

be too ambitious• Use students – really helpful – getting funding, really engaged, good

to get students motivated

Impact